Locomotive-stoker



/ N. M. LOWER. LOCOMOTIVE STOKER. APPLICATION FILED mvzs; 1917.

Patented Apr. 26

1921. 3 SHEETSSHEET l.

N. M.'LOWER.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY26, I917.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

N. M. LOWER. LOCOMOTIIVE STOKER. APPLICATION FILED MAYZG, I917.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- m w h warren 8TA'E'ES' NATHAN M. LOWERQOF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOIR T LOCOMOTIV STOKE? COMPANY, A GORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCOMOTIVE-STOKER.

T 0 aljlwhom it may concern Be it known that T, NATHAN M. LOWER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in L000- motive-Stokers, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to stokers of the soca'lled inside feed type, in which the fuel is delivered froma suitable conveyer to the interior of the fire-box of the locomotive and then distributed over the grate area.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient stoker of this type involving various improvements in the general construction and in many of the de- /tails, whereby the fuel is advanced at a suitable rate and with a minimum expenditure of power, being reduced to the proper size as it passes through the conveying mechanism. Ihe invention also involves an improvement in the means of driving'and reversing the conveyer and crusher, and for conveyer, showing automatically varying the operation of the means for distributing the fuel within the fire-box, all as. hereinafter fully pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a detail vertical longitudinal sectionof the locomotive and its tender and igs. 4.and 5 are detail lan views of a portion of the driving mechanism of the the parts in different positions; I r

Fig. 6 is a detail of the ratchet and pawl mechanism for transmitting power to the conveyer; v

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the conveyer showing the driving mechanism and means for variably controlling the fuel scattering mechanism; and

Fig. 8 is a detail of the regulating valve ,by means of which the scattering action is varied. A portion of the fire-box of a locomotive is shown at 10, its chambered back wall movement of Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 26, 19210 Application filed May 26,1917. .Sprial N6. 171,209.

being represented at 11. The locomotive deck or floor of the cab is shown at 12. At 13 is shown the floor of the fuel bin of the tender, in which is formed atv 14 an aperture for permitting the fuel to fall by gravity into the trough 15 of the conveyer. The conveyer trough'and the conduit 16 leading forwardly therefrom are supported by means of a stirrup 17 in a manner common in devices of this character, and the rearward section .of the conduit is united to the next section 18 theredf, which is suitably supported from the locomotive, by a ball and socket joint-19, to

he tender and locomotive without injury to the transferring mechanism To the forward end of the conduit 18 is attached an upwardly inclined section 20, and to the forward end of this sec tion is attached a section 21, sharply upwardly inclined and passing through the grate 22 of the fire-box, its upper end being open to permit the discharge of fuel.

Within the trough 15 .and the conduit sections 16, 18, 20 and 21 is located a screwconveyer comprising the sections 23, 24,25 and 26. The conveyer sections 23 and 24 are united by a universal joint 27, inclosed within the ball and socket joint 19. The

sections 24, 25, and 25, 26, are rigidly united,

the elbows being enlarged and preferably the conveyer sections 24', 25, are connected by a ball and socket oint 28 of suflicient size to inclose a pair of intermeshing bevel gears '33, 34, fixed upon the shaft ends. 'A supplemental ball and socket joint 35 is pref: erably provided at the axes of the shafts. The shafts of the conveyer sections 25, 26, are similarly united.

A reciprocating motor 37, suitably supported below the floor of the locomotive cab and transverse thereto, is preferably steam actuated, and is provided with the necessary steam connections, not shown. To the end of the piston rod 38 of the motor is attached a gear-rack 39, reciprocating in a suitable bearing 40 and meshing with an annular ear wheel 41 housed within a casing 42, inclosin the conduit section 18, a portion of 'whic is cut away within the casing to accommodate the wheel 41 is mounted to freely turn upon an driving gears. The gear annular shell 43, forming the periphery of a two spoke wheel fixed upon the shaft 31 of the 'conveyer section 24. The spokes 44, 45, constitute the crushing means for reducing the fuel.

A lateral extension 46 of the gear 41 takes the form of a'ratchet wheel coiiperating with a two-nosed pawl 47, pivotally mounted upon an eccentric annular rib or'ring 48 carried by the shell 43. The reciprocation of the motor, therefore, causes the oscillation of the annular gear 41, cates a step by step movement to the'wheel 43 and through it to the several conveyers. The pawl 47 is held in driving position by means of a spring 49, attached at one end to a lever 50'which is pivoted tothe'eccen-v trio, and at the other end directly to the eccentric The connection between the lever arm 50 and the pawl is through the medium of a pair of links 51, 52, the former attached to a barrel 53 and the other to ahead 54 reciprocating within the barrel and seated between a pair of helical springs 55, 56, reacting against the ends of the barrel.

A shifting ring 57, sleeved upon the conduit section 18 and controlled by a hand lever 58 extending upwardly through the floor 12 of the cab and pivoted to the casing 42, asshown at 59, cooperates with a roller 60 carried by the free end 61 of the lever 50, and when advanced swings this lever in oppositionto the spring 49 and tilts the pawl 47 from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 6 to throw its opposite nose into engagement I with the teeth of the ratchet 46, for the pur pose of turning the latter and the crusher and conveyer mechanism in the reverse direction. his reversing action is provided for the purpose of freeing the crusher and conveyor from an extraneous matter, such as chunks of metai or stone, which mayfind their way into the fuel.

The fuel is. distributed by means of a steam jet discharged from a nozzle 62 directly across the open-end of the conduit section 21, and entering through the fire-box wall 11. For the purpose of'scattering the fuel to all parts of the fire-box, provision ismade for varying the pressure of this steam jet, suchprovision consisting in the present instance of a choke valve and means for automatically shifting the valve to regulate the volume of steam delivered to the nozzle 62. As shown, this valve is inclosed w1th1n a casing 63, suitably supported by means of brackets 64, 65, from the floor of the cab and provided with a nipple 66, to whlch a suitable service pipe is connected, which a pipe 68 leadmg to the nozzle is attached. The choke valve 69 is tapering in form and regulates an opening 70 in a diaphragm 71 interposed and this communi-.

between the nipples 66, 67, a spring 72 urging it toward the diaphragm.

A sectional valve stem 73, adjustable as to length by means of a turn buckle 74, is connected to a lever 75. This lever is pivoted at 76 to an adjusting rod 77, controlled by a nut 78 riding upon a suitable bracket, as 79, the free end of the lever having a hearing upon the eccentric rib or ring 48, and being provided with an anti-friction roller 80 running thereon. A spring 81, reacting between the lever 75 and a fixed abutment 82, holds the lever against the eccentric and tends to close the valve 69, supplementing the spring 72.

With the rotation of the eccentric 48 the position of the valve 69 is constantly changed, thereby correspondingly varying the volume of steam delivered to the nozzle and consequently the force of the jet effecting the distribution of the fuel. By turning back the nut 78 the fulcrum 76 of the lever is allowed to descend, permitting the valve to approach its seat under the influence of the springs, thereby reducing the minimum volume of steam admitted to the nozzle. The range of movement of the valve, due to the turning of the eccentric, remaining the same, it follows that the maximum volume of steam is correspondingly reduced.

In all furnaces the force necessary to deliver to front and near portion of the grate is the same, while that required to impel'the fuel to the rear or more remote portion of the grate depends upon the length of the fire-box. In order to adapt the device tothe particular en ine to which it is to be applied, it is. therefore desirable to provide means for varying the range of movement of the valve 69. This is conveniently accomplished by providing a shiftable connection between the valve stem 73 and the lever 75. Such connection 'may be secured by laterally extending the lower end of the stem, as shown at 83, forming in'such extension a transverse slot 84, and in the lever a longitudinal slot 85. The lower end of the valve stem is bifurcated to straddle the lever. The

pivot pin 86 uniting the stern and lever is struction is disclosed, Various changes of de-' tail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

2. In a locomotive stoker, in combination,

a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender l having a fuel bin, a conduit leading for- 15 ery end inclined upward, a sectional screw wardly below the bin and having its-delivconveyer within the conduit and having adjacent sections connected by a ball and socket joint, and intermeshing bevel gears mbunted on the shafts of the sections and inclosed within the joint.

3. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a locomotive having. a fire-box, a tender hav-, ing a fuel bin, a screw conveyer leading from the tender below the fuel bin and discharging through the fire-box grate, a wheelmounted on the shaft of the screw, the rim of the wheel forming a section of the conduit, a geared annulus mounted on the rim of the wheel, ratchet. and pawl connection between the wheel and annulus, and a, power-actuated rack bar engaging the annulus.

4. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a locomotive having a firebox, a tender having a fuel bin, a screw conveyer leading from the tender below the fuel bin and dis-' charging through the fire-box grate, awheel mounted on the shaft of the screw, the rim of the wheel forming a section of the conduit, a geared annulus mounted on the rim of the wheel, ratchet and pawl connection between the wheel and annulus, the ratchet being formed onthe annulus and the pawl being carried by the wheel, anda poweractuated rack bar engaging the annulus.

'5. In a locomotive stoker, in combination,

1 a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin, a screw conveyer leading from the tender below the fuel bin and discharging through the fire-box grate, a wheel mounted on the shaft of the screw, the rim of the wheel forming a section of the condult, a geared annulus mounted onthe rim of the wheel, ratchet and pawl connection between the wheel and annulus, a poweractuated ,rack bar engaging the annulus, and means for reversing the pawl.

- 5. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin, a screw conveyer leading .from the tender below the'fuel bin and discharging through the fire-box grate, the

. .vane of the screw and itscasing being interrupted, a wheel fixed on the shaft of the h a locomotive screw at its interrupted section, the rim of the wheel filling'the space at the interrup-- a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin, a screw conveyer leading from the tender below the fuel bin and discharging a through the fire-box grate, the

vane of the screw and its casing being interrupted, a wheel fixed on the shaft of the screw at'its interrupted section, the rim of the wheel filling the space at the interruptionof the casing, a geared annulus mcunted'on the'wheel, ratchet teeth on the annulus, a reversible pawl carried by the-wheel, a spring-retracted pawl reversing lever car'-' ried by the wheel, a sleeve slidable on the casing for moving the lever in opposition to its spring, and means for oscillating the annulus. v 8. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin, a fuel conveyer leading from the bin and discharging into-the firebox, a steam nozzle directed on the fuel delivered by the conveyer, a constantly open choke valve in the service pipe of the nozzle, and means for alternately openingand partially closing the valve.

9. In a locomotive stoker, in" combination, a locomotive having a fire-box, a-tender having a fuel bin, a fuel conveyer leading from the bin and discharging into the fire-box, a steam nozzle directed on the fuel delivered by the conveyer, and means for delivering upon which the valve stem is supported, and

a spring tending to close, the valve.

11. In a locomotive stoker, in cp'mbmation, a locomotive having a fire-box, atepder having a fuel bin, a fuel conveyer leading from the bin and-discharging into the firebox, a steam nozzle directed on the fuel delivered by'the conveyer, a constantly open choke valve in the service pipe ofthe nozzle having a stem, a lever to which the valve stem is connected, a power driven eccentric upon which one end of the lever bears, and

a spring tending to close the valve.

12. In a locomotive stoker, in combine:

' tion, a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin, a fuel conveyer leading from the bin and discharging into the fire box, a steam nozzle directed on the fuel de- ,130

livered by the conveyer, a constantly open choke valve in the service pipe of the nozzle having a stem, a lever to which the valve stem is connected, a power driven eccentric upon which one, end of the lever bears, a spring tending to close the valve, and means for shifting the fulcrum of the lever.

13. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin, a screw conveyer leading from the tender below the fuel bin and discharging through the fire-box grate, a Wheel mounted on the shaft of the screw, the

spokes of the wheel constituting fuel crushers, a geared annulus mounted on the rim of the wheel, ratchet and pawl connection be tween the wheel and annulus, and a poweractuated rack bar engaging the annulus.

14. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a fire-box, a fuel bin, a conveyer leading from the fuel bin and delivering into tensity of the fire-box above the level of the grate thereof, and means for directing a continuous undulating blast of fluid under pressure against the fuel delivered by said conveyer.

15. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, a locomotive having a fire-box, a tender having a fuel bin a conveyer adapted to convey fuel from the bin and deliver it into the fire-box means to direct a continuous blast of fluid under pressure against said fuel as it is discharged from the conveyer, and means to increase and decrease the insaid blast at a uniform rate.

16. A stoker comprising, in combination, a fire-box, means to deliver fuel into said fire-box, and means to scatter said fuel as delivered, comprising a continuous blast of fluid under pressure which blast is of undulating intensity.

- NATHAN M. LOWER. 

